1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lighting attachments for trailers and vehicles and more particularly, to a trailer light connector enclosure which may be secured to the bumper, frame or trailer hitch of a towing vehicle or to the tongue or coupler of a trailer by means of an adhesive backing in one embodiment, and utilized to enclose and protect the plug or plug receptacle elements of a conventional trailer light wiring harness when the vehicle is not towing the trailer. Alternatively, the rewind trailer light connector can be secured to the vehicle or trailer by means of bolts or other fasteners in close proximity to the plug or receptacle component, to facilitate removal or extension of the plug or plug receptacle from the housing for connection to a mating plug or receptacle when a trailer is coupled to the vehicle.
Cars, trucks and other vehicles are frequently used to pull trailers of various description and it is therefore necessary for safety purposes to interconnect the brake lights, turn signal indicators and running lights of the towing vehicle with corresponding lights on the trailer. Various types of wiring harnesses and interconnecting plug and plug receptacles are used to achieve this purpose, most of which including a wiring plug attached to the trailer wiring and a corresponding socket or receptacle connected to the vehicle wiring harness.
A common problem realized in the installation of wiring harnesses in towing vehicles and trailers for the purpose of attaching the wiring harnesses to corresponding trailer wiring when towing a trailer, is that of securing the vehicle and trailer wiring harness plug and receptacle in a convenient location when the trailer is disconnected from the vehicle. These plugs and receptacles, along with a connecting length of wiring harness, usually dangle or trail behind the vehicle as the vehicle is operated and from the trailer tongue when the trailer is not attached to the vehicle trailer hitch. The plug and receptacle are therefore frequently damaged by movement of the trailer, as well as contact with the road surface or the frame of the towing vehicle, or the plug may be coated with road film, mud and asphalt or oil while traveling. The dangling plug also detracts from the overall streamlining and positive esthetic appearance of the towing vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Attempts to minimize or eliminate damage due to trailing plugs or receptacles attached to the ends of wiring harnesses in vehicles, include wrapping the wiring around the vehicle trailer hitch or otherwise shortening the length of the wiring harness adjacent to the plug or receptacle to prevent the plug or receptacle from being damaged by movement of the trailer tongue or contact with the road or the vehicle or excessively coated with undesirable road elements. These efforts frequently cause the wiring to crimp or stretch, sometimes making it inoperative, and at best, the randomly dangling plug presents an unsightly appearance and detracts from the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,427, dated Jul. 10, 1990, to Linnea H. Pearson, details an "Electrical Trailer Connector Retainer". The retainer is designed for use with an electrical wire connector of the type commonly used to provide electrical connection of a trailer device to the electrical system of a towing vehicle. The device is mountable either on the bumper of the towing vehicle or the tongue of the trailer and permits the electrical wire connector used for transferring electrical power to the trailer from the electrical supply system of the towing vehicle, to be safely and conveniently stowed or retained when not in use and readily available for electrical connection when needed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,828, dated Jul. 14, 1992, to Chauncie L. Bass, details a "Rewind Trailer Light Connector" which includes a rewind housing connected to a vehicle frame or trailer tongue and fitted with a spring-loaded rewind mechanism for storing electrical wiring and the plug or plug receptacle.
It is an object of this invention to provide a trailer light connector enclosure for removably enclosing the plug or plug receptacle of the electrical lighting system of a towing vehicle or a trailer to be towed.
Another object of the invention is to provide trailer light connector enclosures which serve to removably enclose the plug and plug receptacle wiring connectors wired into the electrical lighting systems of a towing vehicle and a trailer, wherein the wiring connectors and the wiring immediately adjacent to each wiring connector are selectively enclosed in a separate enclosure to protect the disconnected plug and receptacle, respectively, of the electrical lighting system of the trailer and vehicle.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a trailer light connector enclosure having a closeable, notched or slotted housing which may be installed either on a towing vehicle or on a trailer to removably enclose the wiring plug or receptacle on the trailer or vehicle, thereby preventing damage to, or road film encrustation of, the plug or plug receptacle attached to the vehicle or trailer wiring enclosed in the housing.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a notched trailer light connector enclosure housing closed by a removable or hinged lid, door or closure, which housing is attached to a trailer tongue or coupler or to a bumper, trailer hitch or vehicle frame and is sized to accommodate a first trailer light connector located on the towing vehicle or a second trailer light connector located on the trailer, for protecting the connectors from damage, road film and like hazards when the trailer is uncoupled from the vehicle.